This is my rant, my thoughts, my ideas on HipHop,popmatters, poltics, relationships, life, and everything in between. You may get some fictonal short stories, true short stories, poetry, articles etc...
Therefore, enjoy the gumbo.

While the authors of a new study say the answer to that question remains elusive, they add their research has uncovered a potential connection.

The study found that black teen girls who view more rap videos are more likely to get in trouble with the law, take drugs and become infected with sexually transmitted diseases.

"We can see there is some link, some association," says study co-author Gina Wingood, an associate professor of behavioral sciences and health education at Emory University in Atlanta. "Maybe they see what's on the rap music videos and think that's how teenagers act, and that's how I should act."

While sociologists have devoted plenty of time studying how music affects teenagers, rap videos haven't gotten much specific attention. "We said, 'Let's look at adolescent females and ask them questions about rap music and other media venues, like gospel, hip-hop and music videos in general," Wingood says.

The study findings appear in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Phone calls seeking comment about the study were not returned by spokespersons for Island Def Jam, a record company that releases rap records, or the Recording Industry Association of America (news - web sites), the main trade group for the recording industry.

Wingood and her colleagues went to health clinics in Birmingham, Ala., and studied 522 black girls from 1996 to 1999. All were sexually active and between the ages of 14 and 18.

Girls who watched the most rap videos (more than the average of 14 hours a week), were three times as likely as the other girls to have hit a teacher (7.1 percent versus 2.4 percent). They were also 2.5 times more likely to have been arrested (17.3 percent versus 7.2 percent), and nearly two times more likely to have had sex with multiple partners (19.3 percent versus 11 percent).

The researchers then followed the girls for a year. Forty-one percent of those who watched the most rap music videos developed a sexually transmitted disease, compared to 33 percent who didn't watch as many videos.

Wingood and her researchers looked at several factors that could affect behavior, such as age, income level and extracurricular activities, including church attendance. However, only two factors other than rap music viewing boosted the rates of promiscuity, drug and alcohol use, and violence among the teens. Those factors were lack of employment and lack of parents who monitor teen activities.

Wingood acknowledges she doesn't know whether the watching of rap videos directly affected the girls' behavior or merely reflected interests they already have. "Maybe they want to be independent and autonomous adolescents, and this is how they express it," she says.

Michael D. Resnick, director of the National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Research Center at the University of Minnesota, says sociologists have found plenty of evidence that the media -- including music and television -- affect the health, attitudes and behaviors of teens.

"Young people are listening and observing," says Resnick, who is also a professor of pediatrics. "Adults may think they are not, but they, like adults, are social beings and respond to the environment around them."

"When that environment is one that desensitizes us to violence and to treating each other with caring and respect, we see predictable results in young people and in ourselves."

Sunday, May 21, 2006

This is my thoughts regarding the previous article. First the author does feel Hiphop needs a messenger. He feels Hiphop needs someone more in the vein of Tupac.

Well I will say I overall I agree. However I would like to add, Hiphop doesn't need ONE messenger. It needs many. That is one major problem with movements, and leadership. Because once the leader returns to the essence...the movement is lost. There is usually no direction.

One also has to take in account that Hiphop became big business, and once big business stepped into the ring..things have a way of becoming blurred. We know big business in most cases doesn't speak for the people. But rather manipulates the public as consumers for their own pockets & gains.

A lot of people in the Hiphop community feel as though balance needs to be brought back, which I think is essential. There are a lot of "messengers" out there. The only thing is one has to dig to find them. More than likely you will not find them on your local radio or video channel. They do speak to the soul. If any one is speaking truth to power will touch the people, now we know that everyone won't be touched because as humans we are far more complex than that (see book pic above), and some of us are to far lost for that. However I think when it comes to the youth, and the next generation it is never too late to give up. There are "messengers in the making" among us.

We need to think about cultivating the next new "messengers/leaders". People have to find more creative ways to get the "other" messgages out there, and it not just the responsibility of the artists. It includes all of us. The industry insiders, and the knowing public. The ones that are tired of hearing the same old..same old. We have to support,demand and promote balance.

Afterall, if the youth don't know. They just don't know. But the ones that do know need to spread the word, and take action. That may mean even if you purchase one of their cds, go to a concert, donate/volunteer at local Hiphop or arts program in your community.

The article could have been written on how the author misses Tupac(and I miss him too), how Hiphop lost a messenger etc and how he would love to see another dynamic an artist of conviction...oh it was....My bad..I just got a little lost by the extra rant on other present day “conscious"rappers and their messages that he seemed to dismiss. And as for tapping into this generation's anger....I would like to say that this anger has been around for a long a time, passed through generations....,and it's bigger than Hiphop.

Rap music now a day is in the worst phase that it has ever been in. I can't think of one song on the radio that is worth listening to a second time. Rap careers seem to come and go and not many rappers that have come out since 2001 have made it past a third album, and even when they do, their albums are anything but memorable. With the exception of Jay-z (99 problems) , Nas (I can) , the Game (Dreams) , and Kenya West (Jesus Walks), every other rapper getting radio play can be thrown out the window. Rappers are all about the money and have lacked to consider the power that they carry by simply sending a message so powerful that it could literally change the history of this country forever.

What hip hop needs is a messenger, it needs another Tupac.

I'm from a generation many times referred to as the “hip hop generation,” I grew up listening to it and have been a part of it since a young boy. I would like to believe that hip hop is more than just entertainment, as having the potential to lead a movement for our generation. Back in September Friday the 13th of 96'when Tupac was pronounced dead after being shot 6 days prior, I was in 8 th grade. Back then I didn't really understand the importance of Pac. It actually took years and even adulthood to fully understand his words and importance to society as a whole.

Thug LifeHe was the son of a Black Panther, who not only claimed to live a ‘Thug-life' but also claimed that the injustices of this country is what made him a thug. Thug life was a movement in which there were 26 points to the code of a thug, the term “THUGLIFE” itself was an acronym for Tupac. It meant The Hate U Gave Little Infants Fucks Eveyone.

Tupac was more than just a rapper, he literally was a messenger because he was able to tap into a whole generation by his words and conviction. No other rapper has had the same magnitude because no other rapper has mastered those elements. In the days following his death I saw countless footage of people all over America mourn for Tupac. A class at the University of Berkeley was introduced whose curriculum was solely based on Pac's lyrics, murals of his face were painted all over America, and countless youth still wear the image of Pac on their shirts throughout the streets of America. In the Bay Area, a social worker by the name of David Inocencio asked incarcerated youth to write about how they felt about the death of Tupac, the writing was so powerful that it became a weekly publication called the Beat Within where incarcerated youth write about their lives.

Tupac was ahead of his time. If he were alive today he would be the biggest threat to President Bush, I think even far greater of a threat than Osama. This is because in this country there is the spirit of millions of people waiting for a leader to speak to them. Tupac was becoming this voice for the people. When Tupac was alive he would spit on T.V. cameras, flip off courthouses and even dis' politician like Bob Dole and Dan Quayle.

A rapper of this magnitude is needed now more than ever, we are living in a politically tense times, the prison system is growing, no jobs, and Hurricane Katrina was a reminder that people of color are still second class citizens.

Conscious RapHip Hop thinkers have always talked about the value of the music but never about how to tap into the heart of the listener.

I've heard people like KRS One (Rapper, philosopher and founder of the Temple of Hip Hop), Afrika Bambata (Founder of the Hip Hop organization Zulu Nation) Davey D, (Radio Commentator for KPFA and columnist for the Mercury News) talk about Hip Hop being special because it is the voice of the ghetto and that rap music allowed rappers to deliver a message to their community. In the documentary “Soundz of Spirit,” a film on hip hop and spirituality, Davey D actually compared rapping to preaching and although I would agree with him 100%, there are such things as bad preachers and the rappers of today are bad it. Considering that all of these important figures to hip hop are saying that rap is the voice of the ghetto, and that rap music has a message, then it would be completely rational to say that because rap now a day isn't delivering a true message, then rap is no longer special nor important if rappers like 50 cent (Window Shopper), Bow Wow (Like You), and Dem Franchize Boyz (I think they like me) are taking the shine. Even the cliché analyzes people give rap by saying that it is the reality of the black youth is a false one because most of the black youth and other youth of color are not living the life style that 50 raps about. I hate to say it, but the rap of today sounds pretty dumb.

Many “conscious” hip hop activists make the claim that people like Common, Mos Def, Tali Kweli and Dead Prez are able to tap into the youth and perhaps lead a conscious hip hop movement because those artists are generally considered positive. Although I would agree that they are, that is not what this generation needs. The conscious scene, although it educates, ignores and leaves behind the people who are truly suffering in America. It may not do it intentionally, but it does it regardless. Going to a Dead Prez show is like going to a Hip Hop hippie concert. Dead Prez's ‘Revolutionary But Gangsta' album by no means has the potential to tap into the hearts of the poor youth across America. What makes rap so beautiful is that rap allows people to reflect on their lives, so although Wu-tang Clan are perhaps the better lyricists, NWA will always get more respect, because people were able to relate their lives to the realities that NWA was talking about. It's the same for people like Dead Prez, they definitely educate and are talented, there following consists of college students, activists, and coffee-shop hip hoppers, while Mike Jones for example- in his line ‘back then they didn't know me/ now I'm hot they all on me” is more relatable because poor kids, including myself when I was in my teens, would fantasize about getting paid so that girls would jock.

Many rappers, although maybe spreading good messages, have not been able to tap into the anger of this generation. This anger comes from the frustration of feeling trapped with the mentality of a hustla', because hustlin' seems to be the only form of escaping out of the ghetto for youth in America. This anger and frustration is real and authentic, it is not fake like most rapper's trying to claim to be gangsta's and not fake like ‘conscious' rappers trying to get everyone to be activists.

The hip hop generation of today is lost and confused and doesn't seem to know where it's going except to feed the multi billion dollar industry that is ultimately being controlled by old white males in office boardrooms. The underprivileged youth of America are ready and prepared for war, all they need is a leader to finish what Tupac started.

Friday, May 19, 2006

Say what you want but Rah Digga is one of the hottest spitters out. She is slept on like a Sealy. Well Rah I got your back! In Hiphop with so many opinions about who is hot? So, and so is doper than..the greatest of all time, top five..blah blah.

Rarley in Hiphop does a female name come into play unless it's about how she looks, and her so-called assets. Industry rule: You must have a pretty face to be marketable. I mean no one wants to see a female rap that looks like (Craig Mack) right? We all want to see a beautiful female that rhymes like a first grade reader or a bad actress with a bad script right? Damn the rabbit hole is deep.

Anyway for most people who are the "know", and let me remind you there are always people in the "know". This is not that backpack carrying "know". This is for those that love Hiphop because of it's soul & creativity. Rah"know" in the words of Tupac "you are appreciated."

Ok she needs a new CD like now. A lot of us would love to see Nas & Jayz on a track together. However I think Rah and Remy(on the rocks) need to collabo on a joint.Busta..Streetsweepers what's up with that?

OneStorme...the rare breed

Rah DiggaThe Harriet Tubman of hip hop has returned babyC'mon!

[Verse 1]I be that bitch niggas wantin in the labRhymes comin, rhymes goin like I was a dollar cabFingerin the man tryin to tap into his feelingsA misguided soul so aint checkin for the lyricsMany different players, only one hold the ballGhetto fabulous chick, go against the protocolWith the grittiest lingo, still such a little sweetheartBook educated with a whole lotta street smartsFollow me now, as I build my fanbasesMakin rappers worry like they got open casesHarriet Thugman, y'all can see shit throughLike a whole world of people wait for Episode TwoI be the rap purist, the walking hip hop thesaurusThe innovator, spawned from Libra and TaurusDo away cats with the same ol' whackLead a nation up north where the real party atA place where we spray when our asses get olderNo shots in the choke, no gettin pulled overA place where graffiti aint considered a crimeAnd your favorirte underrated MC's is primetimeA land good and fruitful, where lyrics free peopleBlack presidents, and all the weed legalNo rich or poor, we break bread and drink merrySmoke a little Mary for the real visionaries

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

I know I am late on this one. However I happen to catch Mtv's Greatest of All times. I was some what disappointed. But I can read between the lines. The people in the top five definitely belonged on the top 10 list.

I know it is all a matter of choice and personal opinions etc blah blah. However the number one spot should have went to Rakim. The reason why is because he is the lithmus test. He is the point where before stands an era of the Emcees, and after him stands an era of Emcees. Who can argue this point?

Everyone in the top five,from Jay, Nas, Big, Tupac were all influenced by him. He is a true lyricist. He continuously strives to take creative lyrics to the next level.

See legend has it that every so often one is born to set higher expectations in the game or their realm. These legends set a standard so high that it elevates others to work harder, and to take their craft more serious. MJ did it for basketball, everyone knew they had to bring their A game. That is what Rakim did for Hiphop...he elevated it. That elevation caused Nas, Jay, Big, and Tupac and countless others to take it to the next level.

Mtv you all dropped the ball on this one. But what do I expect from the 6 million dollar machine...

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Where Do "Baby-Daddies" Come From?The origins of the phrase.By Julia TurnerPosted Sunday, May 7, 2006, at 4:47 PM ET

Celebrity gossips are not known for their contributions to English letters. In tabloids, the copy is breathless, the headlines are stunningly literal, and the "hand-written" photo captions seem to toggle between "Awww!" and "Ew!" But as they zero in on celebrity mating and breeding rituals, the magpies keep breaking new linguistic ground. First they imported the British term bump, a noun used to refer to the protruding abdomen of a pregnant starlet. Then they awarded celebrity couples mash-up nicknames like "Bennifer," "Brangelina," and "TomKat." Now they've seized upon baby-daddy and baby-mama, two useful terms that have long appeared in hip-hop and R&B lyrics, and are slowly stripping them of their emotional fangs.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines baby-daddy as "the father of a woman's child, who is not her husband or (in most cases) her current or exclusive partner." The baby-mama entry follows the same template with the genders reversed. But some gossip writers have been adopting the first part of the definition and ignoring the second. Salon recently called Tom Cruise "Katie Holmes' baby-daddy," even though the couple is engaged. And Gawker refers to Keven Federline as "Britney Spears' baby-daddy," even though the couple has been married for more than a year.

Such usages would be unlikely in Jamaica, where baby-daddy has its roots. The OED lists baby-daddy and baby-mama as "colloquial, chiefly African-American" variants of the Jamaican terms baby-father and baby-mother; its first citation for baby-mother hails from the Kingston Daily Gleaner in 1966. The terms probably arose in Jamaican Creole—where they would have been pronounced "biebifaada" and "biebimada"—before taking hold in standard Jamaican English.

Continue Article

On the island, your baby-mother or baby-father is typically someone with whom you are no longer romantically involved. If you called your husband your "baby-father," he might be insulted—the term suggests biological fatherhood in the absence of any real parenting. The linguistics professor Peter L. Patrick, who studies Jamaican Creole, said the terms "definitely imply there is not a marriage—not even a common-law marriage—but rather that the child is an 'outside' child."

The terms soon landed in the lyrics of reggae and dancehall songs, which may be how they made their way to the United States. In 1981, a Jamaican musician named Linval Thompson wrote and recorded a song called "Play MediaBaby Mother" that entreats men not to be rough with pregnant women—"Mind how you're pushing/ when you push on your baby mother"—because an unborn child might be a "king or queen … maybe a movie star." Thompson followed up with "Play MediaBaby Father," a major hit that advised men to take responsibility for their kids. The opening line: "Baby father, don't run. Don't hide."

By the mid to late '90s, the terms baby-daddy and baby-mama were appearing regularly in American hip-hop and R&B songs, and the words were consistently used to refer to an ex. In a 1997 song by Play MediaNut N' 2 Nice, a girl placates her jealous boyfriend: "That ain't nobody/ that's just my baby-daddy." In a song by Play MediaBass Patrol, a beleaguered boyfriend chants, "I don't know/ and I can't see/ why your baby daddy got beef with me." But it was the rapper Queen Pen who most succinctly captured the difficulties inherent in the relationship, in a song called "Play MediaBaby Daddy": "I shouldn't a f-cked him."

Baby-mama hit the big time in 2000, in the OutKast chart-topper "Play MediaMs. Jackson." The song—which, as Andre 3000 put it, went out to all the "baby mamas' mamas"—details the singer's efforts to convince his ex-girlfriend's mom that he's serious about being a good dad, and it soon had Americans black and white singing along with the catchy chorus: "I'm sorry Ms. Jackson/ but I am for real!" OutKast even secured the term's place in the New York Times: It appeared outside of quotation marks for the first time in a 2003 profile of the band that calls "Ms. Jackson" a "conflicted ode to baby-mamas." (The line is cited in the current edition of the OED.)

These days, the terms no longer seem "chiefly African-American"—they're everywhere, the latest bits of hip-hop lingo to gain widespread use. Baby-daddy is the new bling. Online, you can buy "Jesus is my baby-daddy" magnets, tote bags, and beer steins. There is a drink called the "babymama." Scott Hoffman, the bassist for the glam rock band the Scissors Sisters, goes by the stage name "Babydaddy." Some of this cultural paraphernalia retains the old, loaded sense of the term: You can, for example, download a "Salty Baby Mama" ringtone so that when people call, your phone will jangle and thrum while a woman's voice says, "Baby, I know you hear this damn phone ringing. I'm going to beat your ass, as soon as I see you." But just as often, the connotations are strictly biological. Baby-mama has even made inroads in Japan, where it's being used on a Web site that appears to sell strollers.

Who knows why these terms became catchphrases? Perhaps it's just that they're metrically pleasing: Baby-mama and baby-daddy are undeniably fun to say. But it's the novelty factor that explains how the words lost their negative connotations. Sure, there are many gossip writers who still use the terms in their original senses (calling dancer Carlos Leon "Madonna's baby-daddy," for example) because they're useful, reducing a complex chain of possessives—Madonna's daughter's father—to a nice, comprehensible noun. But it seems there are also plenty of writers who just like the way the words sound and don't care much about the stigma once attached to babydaddyhood. When news came last week that Anna Nicole Smith may be pregnant, it was no surprise that bloggers immediately began speculating about the identity of the "baby daddy." It may be a long time before you hear a quaint, old-fashioned "Who's the dad?"

Friday, May 05, 2006

I feel like screaming today "WAKE UP!" You know like in Spike Lee's School Daze.

I am so sick and tired of hearing one of the biggest myths in Hiphop. It is so big that silly rappers are beginning to quote it themselves because they have heard it so much. Where is Davey D? Davey...I know you don't know me like that, however I need you to lend some thoughts on this.

Here is the truth.

FEMALE RAPPERS WERE NOT LIKE DUDES PRIOR TO LIL' KIM OR FOXY(ERA?)!!!!!